Oscar Mayer Would Be Proud: Aria, Balloo & Doc

My partner, Mr. K, and I have decided against having children so we added fur babies to our family in 2010/2011. Here are their stories.

Aria
-Breed: miniature, long haired Dachshund
-Colour: chocolate and tan
Weight: seven LBS
-Birth Date: June 10, 2010
-Favourite Quote: "'cause I'm a lady. That's why!"

Interests
-shredding paper,
-playing in the snow,
-sticks
-coffee (but Mom says I can't have any),
-being in charge,
going on outings I.E., to Pet Smart, out for walks, to the dog park Etc.
-tunneling under blankets and sleeping next to Mom or Dad
-racing around the house as fast as I can
-learning new tricks and being the "star" of my Puppy Obedience class

Dislikes
-rain (I will not go out to potty)!
-big dogs bossing me around
-grooming (ear cleaning bathing) and nail clipping.

We bought Aria in August of 2010 when she was eight weeks old. She was for sale at a discounted price from a breeder that claimed to be selling off her entire breeding stock and puppies because she had become pregnant. Aria was so small when we got her, weighing less than two LBS. We didn't know until the night we got her home that she was riddled with worms and that was why she was so ravenous and skin and bones. We took her to the vet the next day and she was treated for worms. She recovered fully and is a very healthy, happy girl. She is incredibly spunky and full of energy. One of her favourite spots is on the back of the couch where she can see out the living room window and watch the goings on outside: she is always on patrol. I am so grateful we found her and saved her from an unideal situation.
***
Update: Aria has been re-homed due to our move to Edinburgh Scotland. Originally she had gone to live with Mr. K's mom, but after four months and a change in Mr. K's mom's living circumstances, Aria will be going to live with my Uncle George, his girlfriend, Beatrice and Aria's long lost brother Doc.

Baloo
-Breed: short haired (or smooth coat) miniature Dachshund
Colour: black and tan Piebald (but he is black and white. No tan in sight).
-Weight: eight LBS and growing (now 14 LBS)
-Birth Date: August 22, 2010
Favourite Quote: "Love the baby."

Interests:
-anything edible; cookies, kibble
-cuddling
-tunneling under the covers and sleeping on top of Mom (arm, leg, stomach. It doesn't matter).
-big sister Aria
-toys (especially if they are bigger than me),
-sitting on Mom or Dad's foot when they are standing in the kitchen
-sleeping
-Did I mention cuddling? Oh and eating?
-giving kisses (sometimes I get carried away and nearly suffocate my unsuspecting victim. Woops).

Dislikes:
-being on the floor when there are humans sitting on couches, ready to be cuddled with
-being moved off of human's lap when I am clearly in the middle of a cuddle fest
-going outside to potty when it's cold (but Mom says too bad and puts my coat on anyway and sends me out. What a mean Mommy)!

We bought Balloo from Porth Kennels in November of 2010. We wanted a puppy that was a bit older so that Aria had someone to play with. We brought her with us and introduced her to the two puppies we had picked out and Baloo is the one she took to the best. They would play and if Aria went off somewhere else to explore, Baloo would come up and grab her by her leash and take her for a walk so they could play some more. We had originally named him "Albus," but everyone thought we were calling him "Elvis." So the name had to change. We settled on Baloo because when you sang him the "Bare Necessities" song from the Jungle Book, he went crazy licking your face. So, Baloo it was. He is a very sweet guy who is a bit more low key than Aria. He likes to play with her, but he is just as satisfied curled up on someone's lap taking a nap and keeping them warm.
*****
Update: Baloo was re-homed due to our move to Edinburgh Scotland. He went to live with a high school friend in my home town and he is her little boy. They love each other and I think that it was a great match. He is has grown-almost doubling in size-and has really come out of his shell. He's still a great snuggler, but he is much more adventurous and outgoing.

Doc.
-Breed: Long haired Dachshund
-Colour: chocolate and tan (but tan markings are cream),
-Weight: 12 LBS (He too has grown a bit),
Birth Date: June 16, 2010
Favourite Quote: Life is good."

Interests.
-investigating everything
-following Mom or Dad around
-Chasing Balloo
-Wrestling Aria
-learning new things (like how to chew on bones, or using the doggie stairs to get on the couch),
-sleeping between Mom and Dad's pillows at night time
-cuddling
-Going to check the mail with Dad
-Shiny things (Mom's engagement ring is not a chew toy? Hmmmm).

Dislikes.
-Being put out without Mom or Dad (I'm still new and I am worried they will forget me out there),
-When someone else gets petted instead of me (I must run them over so that Mom and Dad don't forget me),
-sleeping without a pillow (That is just not right)!

This laid back, easy going pup came to us on Friday February 11, 2011. We got him from a breeder in North Carolina, where he had lived his young life. The breeder is a fantastic person and her dogs and facility are wonderful. Doc was at a discounted price because he was already seven months old and nobody had wanted him as a puppy. He is not a true miniature as he weighs more than 11 pounds, but we love him just the same. He is gorgeous, with chocolate as his main colour and cream markings and under coat. He has English and African blood lines and has the thicker build of the English cream Dachshunds. He has only been with us for a short time and he already is a great addition to our family. We bought him for Mr. K's sister and will be obedience training and potty training him for her and her family. He is smart and incredibly laid back. Both of these traits will be good for a dog going to a family with two little kids under the age of five.
*****
Update: Mr. K's sister was not able to take Doc and so we had originally thought to keep him, but he too was re-homed due to our move to Edinburgh Scotland. He is now happily living with my Uncle George, his girlfriend, her kids and Beatrice, a rescue dog. Beatrice and Doc are best friends and get along great. We have been told that Doc was good for her since she had dog sensitivity issues. Doc gets to go camping, run around in a fenced in backyard, go to the dog park, go on road trips with the family and much more.

So there you have it: a short introduction to our fur babies. Even though they have all moved on to fabulous homes, we miss them and think of them often.